Plastic drums are often used to ship and store various materials, such as liquid materials used in agriculture or chemical industry. Filling these materials may be time-consuming and labor-intensive processes because drum fitments are required to be installed on site before filling begins. In addition, because liquid materials are expensive, it is important that all the contents of the drum are removed before the drum is discarded or returned, to eliminate waste. One method of emptying completely the contents of a plastic drum would be to turn the drum upside down. However, this procedure may be time-consuming and requires special equipment. Moreover, if the drum contains hazardous materials, turning the drum over may result in a spill, which may be both uneconomical and undesirable.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0195432 discloses a cover of a container having a central opening for inserting a shaft of an electric hand drill for mixing, a peripheral opening used as pouring spout to dispense materials, and a pair of additional openings, into which a vacuum hose may be inserted to evacuate dust, such as plaster, cement, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,846 discloses plastic drums having a pair of access holes and sloping bottom with a sump aligned with the access hole to allow, substantially, all the contents of the drum to be removed without turning the body upside down.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,713,799 discloses a mixing device having a base, shaft, impeller sleeve, and impeller blades. The base can be constructed for releasable attachment to an opening of a container, such as a 55-gallon drum. The shaft extends from the base and may be coupled thereto such that rotation can be transmitted to the shaft by way of or through the base. The impeller sleeve may be mounted on the shaft and supports the impeller blades. Each impeller blade includes an attachment leg and a stirring leg extending from the attachment leg. The impeller blades are supported so as to transition from a collapsed position with the stirring leg proximal to a central axis of the shaft to an extended position with the stirring leg distal from the central axis when the shaft is rotated. The impeller can be mounted on a shaft coupled to the base and can support the blades to allow displacement of the blades from a collapsed position to an extended position upon rotation of the shaft. The collapsed position can allow the impeller to fit through the relatively narrow opening, e.g., 2-inch in diameter, of the container, while the extended position allows for effective stirring of the substance of the container.
There is a need in the art for a drum, e.g., plastic drum, that allows for efficient mixing of chemicals and can be filled and emptied efficiently.